General Election 2024: ITV News Meridian's political correspondent reacts to exit poll results

The exit poll is calculated by experts who use data on how a sample of people voted and then project it to work out what the result would be nationally. Credit: PA

We can’t say we weren’t warned. Nevertheless, the exit poll is extraordinary.

If it’s right, the political map of the south of England is about to be completely redrawn - the region which has been dominated by the Conservatives for generations.

In recent elections, very few seats here changed hands. Tonight looks very different. 

The exit poll suggests huge swathes of the region will have no Tory MPs at all. Could big names - Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Gillian Keegan - be swept away?

The Meridian region became the main battleground of Election 2024. Sir Keir Starmer launched Labour's campaign in Kent and all three main party leaders have headed south repeatedly, especially to Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, over the past few weeks. 

The result could be nothing short of a political revolution.

Rishi Sunak knew he was facing a war on two fronts - against Labour in some seats, against the Lib Dems in others. It’s a war he looks to have lost decisively. Reform UK seem to have made a significant impact too.

If the exit poll is anything like accurate, the Tory heartland of the south is no more.

Watch Election 2024 Live: The Results